Electric-arc disintegrator head



Aug. 22, 1967 F. E. BUGHER 3,337,7@9

ELECTRIC-ARC DISINTEGRATOR HEAD Filed Dec. 31, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR; FRANK E. BUGHER A TTMWE Y:

22, 1967 F. E. BUGHER ELECTRIC-ARC DISINTEGRATOR HEAD Filed Dec.

4 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR. FRANK E. B'UGHER FIG. 7 BY A T T m/E Y5 g- 22, 19567 F. E. :BUGHER 3,337,709

' ELECTRIC-ARC DISINTEGRATOR HEAD Filed Dec 31, 1963 FIGJI FIG.I2

INVENTOR. FRANK E.BUGHER 4 Sheets-Sheet J5 Au 22, 1%? g, B ER 3,337,709

ELECTRIC-ARC DISINTEGRATOR HEAD Fiiled Dec. 31-, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG-IQ INVENTOR. FRANK E. BUGHER United States Patent 3,337,709 ELECTRIC-ARC DISINTEGRATOR HEAD Frank E. Bugher, 331 W. Maplehurst, Ferndale, Mich. 48220 Filed Dec. 31, 1963, Ser. No. 334,756 Claims. (Cl. 219-69) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a mechanism for disintegrating metals by an electric arc and more particularly, to a novel and improved disintegrating head incorporating a novel electro-magnetic vibrating structure.

The prior art mechanism for disintegrating metals employ spindle return springs and it has been found that such return springs are a detriment in that they do not keep the disintegrator head of the mechanism in phase with a transformer in order to make and break an arc sixty times per second at the peak of the positive side of the sine wave. A further disadvantage of the prior art disintegrating mechanisms is that they use copper helical coils or the like to conduct a coolant to the oscillatable spindle and these coils have been found to break because of work fa- .tigue after certain periods of time. Another disadvantage of the prior art disintegrating machines is that they include open solenoids which are subject to being short circuited because of wet coils which condition occurs in many cases during operation of the disintegrating machine. Accordingly, it is an important object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved disintegrating head which is constructed and arranged to over come the aforementioned disadvantage.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved disintegrating head which includes a movable non-magnetic tubular spindle for operatively holding a disintegrating electrode and which spindle carries two clapper plates which are made from a magnetic material and which is adapted to be oscillated upwardly and downwardly by means of a pair of oppositely disposed traction magnets. The spindle is movably connected to a junction block by a plastic tubing and a copper webbing or braided wire. The plastic tubing transmits coolant from the junction block to the spindle and thence to the electrode and the copper webbing transmits disintegrating current to the spindle and thence to the electrode. The magnet coils are alternately energized and half-wave rectified whereby the clapper plates and the spindle are moved upwardly and downwardly at any desired speed, as for example, sixty cycles per second, which will cause the disintegrator electrode to make and break an electrical are at the peak of the positive side of the sine wave sixty times per second. The junction block is adapted to be connected to a suitable source of low voltage, high-amperage power and to conduct the same to the spindle and thence to the disintegrating electrode. The reciprocating electrode is moved into and out of contact with a workpiece from which is desired to be removed a broken drill, tap or the like.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved disintegrating head which is simple and compact in construction, economical of manufacture, and eflicient in operation.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved disintegrator head which incorporates a novel coolant and current conducting spindle assembly carried by two spaced apart magnet armatures or clapper plates, and which clapper plates are moved upwardly and downwardly by two magnet coils which alternately repulse and attract the clapper plates. The spindle assembly and the magnet coils are mounted in a magnet body portion and sealed therein by a waterproof material. The clapper plates are mounted at the top and bottom of the movable spindle and also act as splash shields to prevent disintegrated metal particles from entering into and damaging the spindle bushings.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved disintegrating head which does not employ any spindle return springs and which is provided with magnet coils which are encased in waterproof material so that the disintegrating head may operate under water.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved disintegrating head which is constructed and arranged so that the head will not get out of phase with a transformer in order to make and break an arc sixty times a second at the peak of the positive side of the sine wave, and in which there are fewer moving parts than in the prior art disintegrating heads.

Other objects, features and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description and appended claims, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings forming a part of the specification wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts of the several views.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a disintegrator head made in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 1,, taken along the line 22 thereof, and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 3 is an elevational sectional view, with parts broken away, taken along the line 33 of FIG. 2, and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the combined drive and return traction magnet unit used in the invention;

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 4, taken along the line 5-5 thereof, and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the lower clapper plate employed in the structure illustrated in FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 6, taken along the line 7-7 thereof, and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of the upper clapper plate and spindle employed in the structure illustrated in FIG. 3;

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 8, taken along the line 99 thereof, and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 10 is aside elevational view, with parts broken away, of the cover plate used in the structure shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 11 is a bottom plan view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 10, taken along the line 11-11 thereof, and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 12 is a plan view of the spacer located between the lower clapper plate and the coil assembly employed in the structure illustrated in FIG. 3;

FIG. 13 is a plan view of the spacer located between the upper clapper plate and the coil assembly employed in the structure illustrated in FIG. 3;

FIG. 14 is a top view of the junction block employed in the structure illustrated in FIG. 3;

FIG. 15 is a side elevational view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 14, taken along the line 15-15 thereof, and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 16 is an end elevational view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 15, taken along the line 16-16 thereof, and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 17 is an exploded view of the parts forming the upper portion of the structure illustrated in FIG. 3, including the spindle which extends axially through the disintegrator head; and,

FIG. 18 is an exploded view of the parts formin the 7 lower portion of the structure illustrated in FIG. 3.

Referring now to the drawings, and in particular, to FIGS. 1 through 3, and FIGURES 17 and 18, the disintegrator head of the present invention is illustrated as including a cylindrical housing, generally indicated by the numeral 10. The housing 10 is open at the upper nd thereof and is enclosed at the lower end thereof by the integral bottom end wall 11. The cylindrical side wall of the housing 10 is indicated by the numeral 12. The upper open end of the housing 10 is enclosed by the covering generally indicated by the numeral 13 which is provided on the lower side thereof with a reduced diameter portion so as to form a shoulder 14 around the periphery thereof. As shown in FIGURE 3, the reduced shoulder 14 is adapted to be seated on the upper end of the cylindrical housing wall 12.

The cover 13 is releasably seccured to the housing 10 by any suitable means as by the four threaded bolts 15. The bolts 15 are radially disposed around the periphery of the cover 13 and pass downwardly through the holes 16 and into threadable engagement with the threaded holes 19 which are formed in the flange 20 of the magnet body or coil assembly 21. Each of the bolts 15 is provided with a spacer sleeve 18 which abuts the lower sid of the cover 13 and the upper side of the flange 20. The bolts 15 are secured to the cover 13 by means of the nuts 17.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 10, 11 and 17, the disintegrating head is provided with a holding arbor 22 for operatively mounting the device in a spindle of a drill press or the like. The arbor 22 is enlarged as indicated by the numeral 23 at a point adjacent the lower end thereof and this enlarged portion abuts the upper side of the cover 13, but is separated therefrom by means of the insulating washer 24. The lower end of the arbor 22 extends downwardly through the axial hole 25 in the cover 13. An insulating sleeve 26 is mounted between the cover 13 and the lower end of the arbor 22. The arbor 22 is releasably secured in place on the cover 13 by means of the threadably mounted nut 27 on the lower end thereof, and this nut abuts the lower side of the cover 13 but is spaced therefrom by means of the insulating washer 28 and a steel washer 29.

The magnet body 21 is provided with an annular recess 30 which is formed in the upper side thereof and in which is operatively mounted an armature or magnet coil 31. The armature coil 31 is provided with a pair of lead wires 32 and 33, of which one is a ground wire, as for example the lead wire 33. The armature coil 31 is sealed in place in the recess 30 by means of a water-tight sealing material indicated by numeral 34.

The magnet body 21 is further provided with an annular recess 35 which extends inwardly from the lower side thereof and in which is operatively mounted an armature or magnet coil 36. The armature coil 36 is provided with a ground lead wire 37 and a power lead wire 38. The armature coil 36 is secured in place in the annular recess 35 by means of a waterproof material 39 which is the same as the material 34 used in the upper magnet assembly. Any suitable waterproof sealing material may be used.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, 10 and 11, the magnet coil ground wires 33 and 37 are connected to a common ground wire 40 in the cable 41 which extends into the housing 10 of the disintegrator head by means of the passages 42 and 43. The passage 43 extends through the upper end of the housing wall 12 and through the cover 13 and communicates at the inner end thereof with the downwardly and inwardly extended passage 42 formed on the lower side of the cover 13. The cable 41 carries extensions of the lead wires 32 and 38 and these lead wires and the common ground wire 40 are connected to the usual prongs, indicated by the same numerals, and formed on the usual male connector plug 44. The connector plug 44 is adapted to be plugged into a conventional female receptacle for connecting the coil wires to a suitable electrical power source through suitable rectifiers, as to a volt AC current source, so that the coils 31 and 36 may be energized and de-energized alternately in a conventional manner.

As shown in FIG. 3, the disintegrator head includes an assembly including a spindle and two clapper plates With the spindle being generally indicated by the numeral 45, and the clapper plates by the numerals 47 for the upper clapper plate and 53 for the lower clapper plate. The spindle 45 extends through the axial hole 46 in the upper clapper plate 47 and it is connected thereto by any suitable means as by being silver brazed to the clapper plate 47. As shown in FIG. 3, the spindle 45 extends downwardly through the axial hole 48 formed in the magnet coil assembly 21 and extends completely through the coil assembly 21. The spindle 45 functions to carry both coolant and electrical current to a disintegrating electrode carried on the lower end thereof. Accordingly, it is desirable to insulate the non-magnetic spindle 45 from the cast iron body of the coil assembly 21. An insulating sleeve 49 is mounted between the coil casting 21 and an oilite bearing 50 through which the coil 45 is reciprocally mounted. The insulating sleeve 49 and the oilite hearing 50 are retained in place in the coil assembly 21 by any suitable means.

The lower end of the spindle 45 is threaded as indicated by the numeral 51 in FIG. 17. As shown in FIG. 3, the lower clapper plate 53 is provided with an axial threaded hole 52 through which is threadably mounted the lower threaded end 51 of the spindle 45. The lower clapper plate 53 is releasably secured in an adjustted position on the threaded lower end of the spindle 45 by any suitable means as by means of the nut 54 which is threaded on the shaft 45 below the lower clapper plate 53. The upper clapper plate 47 is separated from the coil assembly 21 by means of the upper spacer 55 which is provided with the axial hole 56 through which is slidably mounted the spindle 45. The upper clapper plate is provided with a pair of guide pins 57 which are held in the holes 58 in the upper clapper plate 47 as by means of a press fit. The guide pins 57 extend downwardly into and through the guide holes 59 which are formed in the upper spacer 55, as shown in FIG. 17. The guide pins 57 extend downwardly beyond the spacer 55 and into slidable engagement in the guide holes 60 formed in the upper end of the coil assembly 21. It will be seen that the guide pins 57 function to maintain alignment of the spindle and clapper plate assembly during reciprocating movement relative to the coil assembly 21. The lower clapper plate 53 is separated from the lower end of the coil assembly 21 by the lower spacer 61 which is similar to the upper spacer 55 and it is provided with the axial hole 62 through which is slidably mounted the spindle 45. The spacer members 55 and 61 may also be termed a pair of brass shims. They are adapted to prevent the clapper plates 47 and 53 from being magnetized and also to provide a means for adjusting the stroke of the spindle 45 upwardly and downwardly. The stroke of the spindle may be adjusted by adjusting the thickness or size of the shims or spacers 55 and 61.

The aforedescribed spindle construction provides an efficient and improved disintegrator head spindle which prevents pitting of the spindle 45 which is caused in the prior art type disintegrator heads by current which is not dissipated -or taken care of by the disintegrating electrode. The construction of the present invention is thus adapted to overcome current over-loading in the spindle which is caused by the aforestated reason. The clapper plates 47 and 53 thus function as a vibrating armature.

A conventional disintegrating electrode chuck 63 is threadably mounted on the lower end 51 of the spindle 45 by means of the lock nut 64 in the usual manner. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the lower end of the spindle 45 extends below the lower end wall 11 of the housing 10. The electrode chuck is provided on the lower end thereof with the threaded hole 65 for threaded engagement with a suitable electrode holder. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 18, a suitable elastic watertight sleeve 66 is mounted around the lower end of spindle 45 between the outer end of the housing wall 11 and the lock nut 64 to prevent water from entering the lower end of the housing 10. The watertight sleeve 66 may be made from any suitable material, as for example, from rubber.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 8, a coolant fitting generally indicated by the numeral 67 is threadably mounted in the upper end of the spindle 45. The fitting 67 is made from an electrical conductive material, as for example, brass and is adapted to be connected to the junction block 69 as more fully described hereinafter.

-As shown in FIGS. 1 through 3, and FIGS. 14 through 17, the junction block 69 is made from an electrical conductive metal, as for example, brass and is adapted to be seated in the opening 68 formed in the upper end of the cylindrical housing wall 12. The junction block 69 is provided along the inner side thereof with the recessed corner to provide the concave shoulder 70 which is adapted to be seated against the periphery of the cover 13. The upper end of the junction block 69 adjacent the shoulder 70 is adapted to abut the shoulder 14 on the cover 13. The junction block 69 is releasably secured to the cover 13 by means of the round head screws 71 and 72 which are adapted to be seated in the holes 73 and 74, respectively, in the junction block 69 and to extend upwardly into threadable engagement with the holes 75 and 76 which are formed in the lower side of the cover 13.

As best seen in FIGS. 3, 9 and 17, the fitting 67 is provided with an internal passage which communicates with the interior of the spindle 45. A tubing fitting 77 is threadably mounted in one side of the fitting 67 and is also provided with suitable coolant passages therethrough which communicate with the passages in the fitting 67. Operatively connected to the fitting 77 by any suitable means, is a flexible coolant tubing 78 which is made from a suitable high pressure plastic tubing. For example, the tubing 78 may be made from polyethylene plastic. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 17, the other end of the tubing 78 is suitably connected to the fitting 79 which is threadably mounted in the hole 80 formed on the inside of the junction block 69. The hole or port 80 in the junction block 69 communicates with the passage 81 as shown in FIGS. 14 through 16. Threadably mounted in the outer end of the passage 81 is a conventional coolant fitting 82 for connecting a disintegrating head to a suitable source of coolant.

The spindle 45 is electrically connected to the junction block 69 by means of the braided copper webbing 83 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 17. As shown in FIG. 17, a threaded stud 84 is fixedly connected to the fitting 67 by any suitable means, as by being silver brazed thereto. The braided copper web or braided copper Wire 83 is made from a plurality of fine copper Wires and is looped around the stud 84 and releasably secured thereto by the washer 85 and the nut 86. The other end of the braided copper web 83 is connected by means of the screw 71 to the underside of the junction block 69. As shown in FIG. 15, the lower end of the screw hole 73 is enlarged and open on the inner side thereof for the reception of the end of the copper web 83 which is connected to the junction block 69 by the screw 71. As shown in FIG. 1, the junction block 69 is provided with the inwardly extended hole 88 on one side thereof for the reception of an electrical conductor which may be secured in the hole 88 by means of the set screw 89. The fitting 69 is thus adapted to be connected to a suitable source of low voltage, high amperage power for conduction of the same to the spindle 45.

In the use of the disintegrating head of the present invention, a conventional tubular disintegrating electrode 6 would be mounted in the chuck 63 and current would be supplied to the coils 31 and 36. Current and coolant fluid would next be connected to the junction block 69 and transferred through the braided copper web 83 and the tubing 78 to the spindle 45 and thence to the disintegrating electrode. The electrode is then brought into operative engagement with a workpiece in the usual manner to effect a removal of a broken workpiece, as a broken drill or a tap. The coil assembly 21 provides a traction magnet which has surface attraction and core attraction. The magnet coils 31 and 36 alternately repulse and attract the clapper plates 47 and 53 and .the spindle 45, whereby the disintegrating electrode carried by the spindle 45 is oscillated at 60 cycles per second when the coils 31 and 36 are connected to an electrical power supply of volts, 60 cycle, alternating current. In operation, every time the spindle 45 drops and makes contact with the workpiece, a temporary weld is formed. As the electrode moves upwardly and breaks the contact, the electrode carries out small fragments of metal from the workpiece, then as the coolant is supplied through the electrode, the metal is chilled as rapidly as it is heated by the current and this process acts as a thermo shock, heating and cooling the metal very rapidly. Experience has shown that the disintegrator head of the present invention is an eflicient and practical mechanism and is very effective and quick in operation.

It will be seen that the threaded nut 54 functions not only to hold the lower clapper plate 53 in place on the spindle 45, but it also functions as a means for preventing disintegrated metal from working its way up the outer side of the spindle 45 and into the space between the spindle 45 and the bearing 50. A suitable material for the insulating sleeve 49 is a phenolic plastic. The electrical conductor 83 is preferably formed from braided copper Wire because the plurality of fine copper wires eliminates the chance of the electrical conductor taking a set from the constant up and downward movement created by the spindle. The conductor 83 is thus a flexible conductor as compared to the rigid copper helical coil type of conductors used in the prior art devices which were subject to work fatigue and breakage whereby flooding out of the solenoid of the disintegrator head would be a result of such breaking. The disintegrator of the present invention provides a device which has a constant magnetic drive and a constant magnetic lift for actuating the spindle 45.

While it will be apparent that the preferred embodiment of the invention herein disclosed is well calculated to fulfill the objects above stated, it will be appreciated that the invention is susceptible to modification, variation and change without departing from the proper scope or fair meaning of the subjoined claims.

What I claim is: I

1. In a disintegrator head, the combination comprising: a housing; a holding arbor connected to said housing; an upper electrical magnet coil; a lower electrical magnet coil disposed below said upper magnet coil and in spaced apart relationship therewith; means supporting said magnet coils in said housing; an upper clapper plate disposed above said upper magnet coil; a lower clapper plate disposed below said lower magnet coil; a tubular electrical conductive spindle disposed within said magnet coils and extended above said upper magnet coil and below said lower magnet coil; said spindle being fixed to said clapper plates; a chuck mounted on the lower end of said spindle for operatively connecting a disintegrating electrode to said spindle; means electrically connecting said magnet coils to an electrical source of power for alternate energization and de-energization of the same for alternately attracting and repelling said clapper plates to move said spindle upwardly and downwardly; means connected to said spindle for connecting the spindle to a source of coolant; and, means connected to said spindle for connecting the spindle to a source of electrical energy.

2. The disintegrator head as defined in claim 1, wherein: said magnet coils are mounted in a unitary body and are sealed in separate recesses in said body by means of a watertight sealing material.

3. The disintegrator head as defined in claim 1, wherein: said means for connecting the spindle to a source of coolant includes a junction block mounted in the housing and connectible to a source of coolant, and a tubing interconnecting said junction block and said spindle.

4. The disintegrator head as defined in claim 1, wherein: said means for connecting the spindle to a source of electrical energy comprises a junction block mounted in the housing and connectible to a source of electrical energy, and a flexible electrical conducting means interconnecting the junction block and the spindle.

5. The disintegrator head as defined in claim 3, wherein: said tubing interconnecting said junction block and said spindle is made from a flexible material.

6. The disintegrator :head as defined in claim 4, wherein: said flexible electrical conducting means comprises a braided copper wire made from a plurality of fine copper wires.

7. The disintegrator head as defined in claim 1, wherein: said spindle is fixed to the upper clapper plate by brazing, and the lower clapper plate is threadably mounted on the spindle and is locked in place thereon by a lock nut.

8. The disintegrator head as defined in claim 2, wherein: said unitary body is provided Witha hole therethrough which is disposed axially of said magnet coils, and said spindle is movably mounted in said hole.

9. The disintegrator head as defined in claim 8, including: an insulating sleeve mounted in said axial hole in said unitary body, and a "bearing is mounted in said insulating sleeve and operatively supports said spindle when it is moved upwardly and downwardly.

10. The disintegrator head as defined in claim 2, wherein: said housing is closed at the lower end thereof and is open at the upper end thereof; a cover is detachably mounted on the upper end of the housing to enclose the same; said holding arbor is mounted on said cover; and, said unitary body is connected to said cover in spaced apart relationship therewith.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,592,894 4/1952 Harding 21969 2,753,429 7/1956 McKechnie 219-69 3,134,011 5/1964 De Bruyn 21969 RICHARD M. WOOD, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A DISINTEGRATOR HEAD, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING: A HOUSING; A HOLDING ARBOR CONNECTED TO SAID HOUSING; AN UPPER ELECTRICAL MAGNET COIL; A LOWER ELECTRICAL MAGNET COIL DISPOSED BELOW SAID UPPER MAGNET COIL AND IN SPACED APART RELATIONSHIP THEREWITH; MEANS SUPPORTING SAID MAGNET COILS IN SAID HOUSING; AN UPPER CLAPPER PLATE DISPOSED ABOVE SAID UPPER MAGNET COIL; A POWER CLAPPER PLATE DISPOSED BELOW SAID LOWER MAGNET COIL; A TUBULAR ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVE SPINDLE DISPOSED WITHIN SAID MAGNET COILS AND EXTENDED ABOVE SAID UPPER MAGNET COIL AND BELOW SAID LOWER MAGNET COIL; SAID SPINDLE BEING FIXED TO SAID CLAPPER PLATES; A CHUCK MOUNTED ON THE LOWER END OF SAID SPINDLE FOR OPERATIVELY CONNECTING A DISINTEGRATING ELECTRODE TO SAID SPINDLE; MEANS ELECTRICALLY CONNECTING SAID MAGNET COILS TO AN ELECTRICAL SOURCE OF POWER FOR ALTERNATE ENERGIZATION AND DE-ENERGIZATION OF THE SAME FOR ALTERNATELY ATTRACTING AND REPELLING SAID CLAPPER PLATES TO MOVE SAID SPINDLE UPWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY; MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID SPINDLE FOR CONNECTING THE SPINDLE TO A SOURCE OF COOLANT; AND MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID SPINDLE FOR CONNECTING THE SPINDLE TO A SOURCE OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY. 